Request: Suspend updates when HDD space is low. Do not use all HDD space

[nrnoble]

Today it took me about 2 hours to track down that Steam was eating up all my HDD space as it attempted to download updates.

I would delete files to free up HDD space and within 1-2 minutes all free space was gone, and my system and applications were having significant problems because Steam kept downloading updates and eating up all possible disk space. For 2 hours I didn't know it was Steam that was causing the problem, all I knew was something kept using all the free space as I deleted files. It was very frustrating because there was no information being provided that Steam was continuing to use up all possible free space.

Steam shouldn't take the HDD space down to zero. It should check HDD space, and and if the space is less than 2% (or some other reasonable amount) it should suspend downloading and inform the user that download has been suspended until there is more HDD space.

Honestly, Steam was behaving like a virus, using up all free space without any hint\suggestion that Steam would continue to use all free space as it became available.

[iltoen]

just disable automatic updates

[GDL]

Fully supported.

[TeKraken]

what if the update is for an MP game?
Does it not need to update first in order for the game to start?
What then?

[GDL]

Originally Posted by TeKraken

What then?

Steam tells you that it can't update the game due to lack of space and won't allow you to launch it.

[TeKraken]

Originally Posted by GDL

Steam tells you that it can't update the game due to lack of space and won't allow you to launch it.

great. edit:

Perhaps a better option would be a new hdd.

[GDL]

Originally Posted by TeKraken

Not sure why the rolleyes but meh.

[TeKraken]

Originally Posted by GDL

Not sure why the rolleyes but meh.

the eyes where to emphasise sarcasm.

I didn't think giving steam another reason not to start games was a good idea.

[nrnoble]

Originally Posted by GDL

Steam tells you that it can't update the game due to lack of space and won't allow you to launch it.

Not if Steam is already running prior to downloading updates.

[bobczes]

Anyone who owns a computer should realize, when your hard drive capacity is low, it is time to expand. That means a larger HD or an internal or external secondary HD.

This is SOP even on a non-gaming computer.

Why would you want your applications to control HD usage?

[nrnoble]

Originally Posted by TeKraken

great. edit:

Perhaps a better option would be a new hdd.

^^ That is something to be considered as a long term solution, but Steam shouldn't take a HDD down to zero HDD space. It shouldn't be assumed that its obvious that Steam is continuing to use all free space. As I discribed in my first post, I'd delete files to free up space, and 1-2 minutes later my HDD had zero free space. I didn't know if it was Steam, iCloud, Skydrive,virus, etc that was the source of the problem, Steam was not warning me, it simple continued to use all free space once it became available. This went on for 2 hours until I started killing apps\services one at time until the problem stopped.

[nrnoble]

^^ Not a valid justification for any application to take a HDD down to zero free space.

As a professional developer, this is SOP for every application that meets professional standards. It should do checks, if space is low (under 2%), user is informed that some functionality of the current application (ie steam) will be suspended until HDD space is no longer low. Or, as suggested above, the application launches, checks, and exits informing the user there is not enough space to run.

[bobczes]

Originally Posted by nrnoble

^^ Not a valid justification for any application to take a HDD down to zero free space.

As a professional developer, this is SOP for every application that meets professional standards. It should do checks, if space is low (under 2%), user is informed that some functionality of the current application (ie steam) will be suspended until HDD space is no longer low. Or, as suggested above, the application launches, checks, and exits informing the user there is not enough space to run.

I'm fairly certain this an OS function not an app function. I don't want to seem argumentative but can you provide a source for this standard?

[cylon]

As far as i recall, windows runs better when you have several GB of free space that it can use for temp files, swap files etc.

You shouldn't even be running the PC with such low free space that a game update causes your drive to be full. Considering there are VERY FEW updates that are anywhere even near 1Gb, that has to be one VERY full drive already.

[nrnoble]

Originally Posted by cylon

You shouldn't even be running the PC with such low free space that a game update causes your drive to be full. Considering there are VERY FEW updates that are anywhere even near 1Gb, that has to be one VERY full drive already.

Not a valid justification for any application to take a HDD down to zero free space and continue to keep the drive at zero available space during efforts to delete files and free up space.

I wasn't running a system with just 1-2 free GBs, something happened that caused over 75GB to suddenly get used up, reducing the system to less than 5GB. The total Steam updates was over 6GB, thus continued to use up all avialable space while I deleted files. Source of problem as unknown at the time, only after I killed Steam did I figure out Steam was resuming downloads once free space became available, keeping the drive a zero free space.